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Family Affair – Airing September 24, 2009 Season Premiere
The CSI team, with the unexpected but welcome return of Sara, comes together to investigate the death of a famous young actress killed in a dubious traffic collision. Jorja Fox reprises her role as Sara Sidle. (CBS)

Greg will get to gripe about his role on the team when Sara (Jorja Fox) comes to visit. And his complaining will pay off: He’ll get a new job. (TV Guide)

Nick will act as Catherine’s No. 2, working alongside her much in the same way she did with Grissom. It is a promotion for him to a supervisory position. (TV Guide)

Exec producer Carol Mendelsohn says that CSI will be bringing back a few members of the infamous Millander clan in this season’s second episode. “The last time we saw [serial killer] Paul Millander was in season 2 when Grissom had dinner at [his alter ego] Judge Mason’s house, because, if you remember Paul lived a double life as a judge. And we met Mrs. Mason and their young son, Craig. Well, Paul’s dead, but Mrs. Mason and Craig live on. And we will see them in episode 2.” (Michael Ausiello)

Executive producer Naren Shankar says: “You’re going to get an explanation for that ring Langston (Laurence Fishburne) still has on his finger in [episode 2].” (Michael Ausiello)

Shankar reveals a season long arc: “We’re going to launch a new season-long serial killer arc this season. Starting at the end of our premiere, a brand new nemesis [will emerge] who has a very unique way of killing. This time, the crime scene is always the body,” Shankar teases. “We’re calling him Dr. Jekyl.” (Michael Ausiello)

‘CSI’: As Sara Re-Enters, Riley Leaves

‘CSI: Crime Scene Investigation’ season 10 will see a lot of Sara Sidle but none of Riley Adams.

One person in, another is out. While Jorja Fox is welcomed back as Sara Sidle on “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation“, an actor has to be let go because the character is not working for the whole show. The unfortunate one would be Lauren Lee Smith aka Riley Adams, the crime investigator who joined the unit in season 9. Executive producer Naren Shankar confirmed the elimination through TV Guide Magazine, specifying that Riley will not return for the 10th season. “It was an issue of how we were feeling the ensemble was working,” he reasoned. “When we brought in the character of Riley, it got lost in the shuffle a little bit because we had lost Warrick, we had lost Sara, and then in the middle of last season Grissom finally left. I think, as a result, the character never quite found its footing in terms of the rest of the gang.”

As compensation, Sara will be featured heavily during her 5 episodes appearance. On how she will re-enter the story, Shankar hinted, “She shows up because the team is understaffed. The undersheriff reaches out for a recommendation and Sara says, ‘I think that person might be me’.” For the first time since the news spread out, Fox talked about her return. “I never thought I’d be going back to work with people that I knew,” Fox expressed her joy. “I thought I’d be starting new things. That was a surprise, so I’m going back to work and it’s with the same people who I’ve worked with for eight years in the past. I was thrilled! For me it was a huge compliment!” Asked whether Sara’s come back means similar thing will happen to her lover Gil Grissom, Fox played it coy. “That will hopefully be a reveal in the premiere. They’ve prevented me from discussing Grissom at all,” she said with a laugh.

Now that the initial burst of excitement surrounding Jorja Fox’s CSI comeback has died down, it’s time to get down to business — the business of getting answers to some burning questions! What prompted her return? How long will she be sticking around? What impact will Sara’s reappearance have on the rest of the team? And, last but not least, is Grissom next? CSI showrunners Carol Mendelsohn and Naren Shankar tackle all those Qs:

Jorja’s back for five episodes, right? CAROL MENDELSOHN: Yes, five non-consecutive episodes.

The show took a little bit of a ratings hit towards the end of last season. Did CBS ask you to bring her back as a way to halt the slide?
MENDELSOHN: No. It actually emanated from Naren and I. It’s a tough time for everybody in TV. We don’t feel [it’s fair] to single out CSI.

NAREN SHANKAR: We had several major characters departing over the last year and a half, and it felt like the family had disintegrated a little bit. We had people off in their own bubbles, and that suggested a theme for this season, which is really about family. We wanted to restore that balance of the family. And that initial creative impulse led to the notion of Jorja coming back and helping to assist with that.

How is she reintegrated?
SHANKAR: We’ll learn a little bit about what she’s been doing for the past couple of months. We’re going to start season 10 in real time — two-and-a-half months since the end of last season. She comes in because the team is a little understaffed and overworked. One of our characters reaches out to her and brings her back in, unbeknownst to the other guys.

MENDELSOHN: It’s an interesting dynamic because each and every individual in the team is feeling that lack of cohesion. Catherine feels it. Nick feels it. Greg feels it. And Sara comes in and brings everyone together. And she helps Catherine understand that as the [new] leader, she needs to make the team cohesive and really fire on all cylinders again.

Should we assume that her happily ever after with Grissom didn’t fare so well? They did end up together, right?
SHANKAR: They absolutely ended up together. Grissom is referenced in [Fox’s first] episode. You’ll get a sense of the good and the bad of the two of them actually being together for real. Because we’re talking about a couple of very independent individuals who have decided to share their life together. The first few months of that for any couple would be a weird kind of adjustment. In some ways, it’s easier to be in love with somebody who’s not there.

MENDELSOHN: And you have to admit that Sara and Grissom had a unique courtship. It [makes sense] that their further relationship would also be unique.

So they didn’t break up then?
SHANKAR: No.

When’s William Petersen returning?
MENDELSOHN: You never know when and if Grissom will show up on CSI. The theme of the season is family. And he certainly is part of the family — a big part of the family.

Are there any concrete plans?
MENDELSOHN: We’re certainly open to it, but no, there are no concrete plans.

“One To Go” – The CSI team is shocked and saddened when, after working with Dr. Raymond Langston (Fishburne) on the “Dick & Jane” murders, Grissom announces that his time as a CSI has come to an end and offers Langston a permanent position on the CSI team, on CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION, Thursday, Jan. 15 (9:00-10:01 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

DR. LANGSTON FACES HIS FIRST DAY ON THE JOB AS A FULL-FLEDGED CSI, ON “CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION,” THURSDAY, JAN. 22

“The Grave Shift” – The first day on the job for Dr. Langston turns from bad to worse when a simple burglary case quickly overlaps with a complicated arson and homicide case, on CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION, Thursday, Jan. 22 (9:00-10:01 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

Consider the case of House’s disappearing P.I. officially solved: Michael Weston, who enjoyed a high profile run as Hugh Laurie’s spykick this fall only to vanish without a trace, has turned up on CBS, sources confirm to me exclusively.

The former Six Feet Under kidnapper has been cast as a charismatic con man in an upcoming episode of CSI. Juggling multiple aliases, including a real estate mogul, a movie producer, an art dealer, and his brother, Weston’s character has spent much of his adult life scamming those around him. But it’s his newest identity — psycho killer — that gets the attention of the CSIers.
Weston’s episode begins production today and is slated to air this March.Source: EW

[GARETH MORTON/RYAN MORTON/]
CARSTEN PENNINGTON/TRIPP LINSON – 30s, A charismatic con man who is filled with roiling emotion, he earns his millions by scamming those around him and then changing identities. He poses as a real estate mogul, a movie producer, an art dealer, and his dead brother. GUEST STAR, PLEASE ALSO SUBMIT NAME ACTORS.

[DR. ANTON WRIGHT]
50’s to 60’s, A conservative with an edge, but hurt & betrayed, he was swindled by Carsten, who took advantage of him by serving as the son he had lost sixteen years earlier in a bitter divorce. Carsten skipped town with a quarter million dollars of Dr. Wright’s money, prompting him to hire a private detective. When the detective winds up dead, the doctor becomes a suspect in his murder. GUEST STAR

[DARCY FARRELL]
Mid to Late 20’s, a sexy, smart, & tough bombshell, a beauty pageant type, she is the distraught, soon to be trophy wife of Carsten Pennington. She tells the police she has no idea why anyone would want to harm him when she is called in to identify his faceless corpse. After a failed plan to destroy evidence by naturally “bleaching” the dress she wore on the night of his death, she reveals the true plan they hatched to cover up the murder of his brother. GUEST STAR

[MICKEY ROSS]
In his 40’s, A former movie star gone to seed after a weekend binge that has lasted fifteen years, he is a straight to the point tough guy who dissolves into Oscar worthy tears upon learning that his wife is dead. He ultimately gives up the act to reveal that he was in the room when she killed herself, trying to reconcile with the love that his movie producer Tripp Linson stole away along with his money & career.sptv050769 GUEST STAR

[JEFFREY MEEKER]
30’s, A slick, arrogant Vegas hustler. Jeffrey is an edgy, volatile art collector at a local casino who is on his way to the top. Furious to find out he has been purchasing fake pieces from Carsten, and may lose his job, he roughs Carsten up and is interrogated as a suspect in his murder. GUEST STAR.

[JENA MACKIN]
Late 20’s to early 30’s, Sexy, sweet, sad, and genuine, a former starlet, she kills herself over becoming locked in a love triangle with her failed actor husband and his movie producer… POSSIBLE GUEST STAR

[HILDA MORTON]
50’s – 60’s, This worn, blue collar old woman who feels deep regret over her past actions is reluctant to accept money from her well-to-do son, Ryan, and she tries to keep the peace between Ryan and his brother, Gareth… POSSIBLE GUEST STAR.

[MAID]
40’s, Female, She works at an off the strip Vegas motel, and discovers a maggot covered, post suicide Jena.sptv050769 CO-STAR, PLEASE SUBMIT ALL ETHNICITIES INCLUDING CAUCASIAN.

[POOL BOY]
18 to early 20’s, He discovers a faceless dead man sitting in a hot tub. CO-STAR, PLEASE SUBMIT ALL ETHNICITIES INCLUDING CAUCASIAN.

Storyline
We follow the happenings of a seedy motel’s inhabitants over the course of a year. The CSIs are called to a few too many cases to be coincidence and one in particular finds himself becoming emotionally involved…

[HALEY BLUME] Legal 18 to play 15 & 16. A curious chameleon, Haley is a sensitive, impressionable, enigmatic girl who is constantly trying to figure out who she wants to be. We meet her as a young, innocent, sweet girl and watch her over the course of a year as she spirals downward to become an edgy loner, an outsider with few friends who is desperately seeking attention and love. She is ostracized by her peers and even the person she considers to be her best friend betrays her. GUEST STAR

[BREE LINDER] Legal 18 (MUST BE 18 OR EMANCIPATED) to play 15 & 16. Pretty, Bitchy, the Queen Bee. When we first meet Bree we believe that she is a sweet girl, and Haley’s best friend. She seems to have found a home away from home with Haley’s family, but gets freaked out when Haley begins to fashion herself into a mini-Bree. She concocts a story abut being attacked by Haley’s father, only to reveal that she was actually slipped a date rape drug by a classmate. She then leads the charge in humiliating Haley. GUEST STAR

[NICOLE BLUME] 40’s, Plain, Blue Collar, A Bit Off with a Hidden Dark Side. A grieving mother, broken over the death of her daughter, Nicole becomes too close to Bree as she attempts to make her a replacement for the girl she lost. She then attempts to make her youngest daughter’s killer feel her pain, which ends in tragedy. GUEST STAR

[MARK BLUME] 40’s, A Blue Collar, Sweet Everyman, he is a pushover and the manger of a somewhat seedy motel. A seemingly caring father, Mark does his best to keep Haley close and protect her. However, he is oblivious that the greatest harm will come to her because of the actions of those closest to them and his deliberate denial. GUEST STAR

[ZACK FARISH] Legal 18 to play 15 & 16, Slight. Zach is an edgy, intense, intellectual moneyed poser and small time Meth dealer. He is a sarcastic outsider who shows no fear when questioned by the cops, admitting that he hated Bree and her friends, but stalked Haley because he thought she was the hottest girl in school with a wild side just waiting to get out. He displays bravado about Haley dumping him until he is accused of her murder. He is utterly crushed by the news, and displays a much more vulnerable side, stating that he would have changed in any way to stay with her. sptv050769 GUEST STAR

[DAVE KUNKLE] 18, Attractive, a typical dumb jock. This high school baseball star freely admits to slipping Bree a date rape drug and trying to take advantage of her because he was jealous that she wouldn’t sleep with him, but seemed to be giving it up to another player on his team. GUEST STAR

[FRANK LETTOW] Late 50’s to 60’s, A Tragic Figure, Blue Collar, Sad, & Meek, Frank is a salt of the earth guy who has live a hard life. He is distraught over the poor job he did as a father and feels he deserves no answers upon finding out that his daughter who was recently release from prison has died of an overdose. GUEST STAR

[WIRY MAN] Late 30’s to 50, A down & out man, he lives at the Blume’s motel, and can barely pay his rent. He is begging for five dollars to buy a high priced cup of coffee when we first meet him, but as the story progresses, he cleans himself up and emerges as an important witness to a murder. GUEST STAR

As seen on the preview of this last episode of Grissom, there will be a few flashbacks of his scenes starting from the year 2000. The crime drama series aired its pilot on October 6 that year and Grissom had a scene with novice agent Holly Gribbs (Chandra West). It was in the episode that Grissom is known to have an eye for insects.

Peterson’s character will stun his co-workers with an announcement that his time as a CSI has come to an end after working with Dr. Raymond Langston on the “Dick & Jane” murders, aired December 11. Before leaving the team for good though, he offers Langston a permanent position on the CSI team. — Ace Showbiz

Yet that announcement comes within the first minutes of this week’s episode, laying the foundation for William Petersen’s exit as a series regular and in some part paving the way for a new arrival to the team: Ray Langston, a criminology professor/former research pathologist played by film vet Laurence Fishburne.

But before Fishburne hits your screen — and amid the undoubted cries of, “My Gil/Bill is not replaceable!” — just know these four things about the “transition of power” to come.

Fishburne Isn’t Replacing PetersenThe man who led us into the Matrix is a commanding presence, to be sure, but he won’t be commanding the Las Vegas CSI team. Yes, once the dust settles, Petersen will be gone and Fishburne will be in place. But Langston ultimately joins up as a CSI-Level 1 —a plebe, albeit a highly educated one. Instead, in this week’s episode, Grissom crowns Catherine (Marg Helgenberger) as the new supervisor. And logically so.

Fishburne’s Character Is Not a Serial KillerAt this summer’s TCA press tour, the announcement of Fishburne’s casting included some muddled allusion to his character possessing a DNA trait common to serial killers. (Cue a collective, “Wha?!” from us reporter folk, as well as probably a slew of geneticists.) That buzz was quickly “cleared up” in a subsequent conference call. “It was misreported a little bit,” said executive producer Naren Shankar. “What we really want to play with in a dramatic sense is he’s been able to examine his own genetic profile to an extent and find certain clusters of biological facts that he has in common or that are associated with aggressive and criminal behavior.”

Grissom Isn’t Leaving Just YetAlthough he announces his departure in the Dec. 11 episode — prompting one perturbed coworker to snark, “You gotta do what you gotta do. Have a nice life,” while another introspectively tells him, “I knew before you knew” — Grissom’s final appearance as a regular character isn’t until Jan. 15.

Grissom Isn’t Gone for GoodPetersen and CBS have said from the onset of this discussion that the actor and Gil will resurface on an intermittent, guest-star basis. Plus, Petersen is staying on board as an executive producer. Seriously, you didn’t expect Grissom to stay away from the fascinating bugs forever, did you?

In the episode airing December 11, Grissom announces his retirement, and the rest of the episode focuses on the gang’s reaction – Willows knew it was coming before Grissom did, etc. Fishburne’s character, Dr. Raymond Langston, is introduced in a classroom setting, but Grissom’s current investigation and Langston’s lesson plan – interviewing a serial killer as an academic exercise – soon intersect. Langston busts Grissom in a lie shortly after they meet, but don’t worry; their clash is quickly put aside when that jailbird serial killer Langston was interviewing starts spilling secrets about a series of recent homicides taking place in the city. Langston doesn’t join the team in this episode, but the foundation is laid, and it looks to be a strong one. [Watch With Kristin]

Through a press release, it has been revealed that William Petersen will act as Gil Grissom for one last time on ‘CSI: Crime Scene Investigation’ when the series air its January 15 episode.

“CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” will indeed see the last of William Petersen as Gil Grissom in the series’ first episode in 2009. Through a recently-outed press release, it has been unraveled that the bowing out of Peterson has been embedded in the forthcoming episode entitled “One to Go” as his character takes a sudden leave from the CSI team.

On the episode scheduled to air on Thursday, January 15, 2009, Peterson’s character will stun his co-workers with an announcement that his time as a CSI has come to an end after working with Dr. Raymond Langston on the “Dick & Jane” murders. Before leaving the team for good though, he offers Langston a permanent position on the CSI team.

“One to Go” will see show’s regulars, Marg Helgenberger, George Eads, Paul Guilfoyle, Eric Szmanda and many others. It will also feature the newest cast addition Laurence Fishburne as Dr. Raymond Langston. The episode directed by Alec Smight is written by executive producers, Naren Shankar and Carol Mendelsohn.

Reports on Peterson leaving the show has been broken out in July 2008 by Carol Mendelsohn and Naren Shankar. It was mentioned that though he won’t be the series’ regular anymore, he has agreed to return for occasional guest appearances. He will also remain being the series’ executive producer. — Ace Showbiz

We open on Gil en route to a crime scene where Catherine is trying to preserve a tire track from a driving rainstorm. Nearby? The body of a man dragged under a car, whose fingertips and toes are missing. Good Lord, ouch. The theory is that the vic was tied to the undercarriage of an SUV, lost his appendages when they touched the asphalt at speed, and then came loose and fell.

As if that weren’t enough, Doc Robbins uncovers a slew of mysterious injuries: puncture wounds around his nipples, electrical burns on his tongue and nine post-mortem stab wounds. His true cause of death? Strangulation….Continue reading »

Will a Certain Lady Make CSI‘s Grissom Forget Sara?

Since sultry dominatrix Lady Heather first appeared on CSIin 2001, she’s been no stranger to peril. She’s seen her employees and daughter murdered, and nearly got herself killed by a customer living out his morbid fantasies. Each time, Grissom (William Petersen) has come to her rescue, raising viewers’ hopes that the unlikely pair — whose chemistry is strong enough to spark a brush fire — will finally stop dancing around each other and pull out the whips. But when Melinda Clarke returns on November 6, their roles are reversed. Get ready for Heather to save Grissom.

“She’s in a good place now where she’s made some changes in her life,” Clarke says. “And we won’t necessarily see Lady Heather as a dominatrix anymore.”

Murders involving S&M bring Grissom back to Heather. “I think he’s probably at one of the lowest points in his life — personally and professionally,” Clarke says. “He comes to Lady Heather to ask for her help on a case, but she questions whether he’s here for the case or because of himself. She’s helping with this murder, but she says, ‘You don’t need me for this. Why are you really here?’ ”

For Clarke, who’ll appear in a three-episode story arc on Eli Stone starting December 9, exploring the relationship between Heather and Grissom for the past seven years has been a dream come true. “Heather, to me, is that woman who’s so evolved and so cool in her own skin — she’s the female version of him.”

But Petersen’s departure from the show later this season may put an end to her regular appearances, at least for now. “It doesn’t quite seem right to have Lady Heather there without Grissom,” Clarke says. “I think they belong together because they balance each other and it’s fulfilling for the audience and frustrating at the same time. This is an interesting episode because it’s all about what’s not said. They are true friends, but maybe he’s looking for something more from her.”

For executive producer Carol Mendelsohn, the Heather-Grissom chemistry has been fascinating to explore. “Lady Heather’s knowledge of human behavior has always been an interesting complement to Grissom’s encyclopedic knowledge of forensic science,” she says. “The two characters feel at ease with each other and share an intimate respect for one another. In a different world — one without Sara Sidle in it — Lady Heather and Grissom might end up together.”

So what about Sara (Jorja Fox)? Clarke hesitates to imply that her episode will answer any questions about who will walk into the sunset with Grissom. “Sara and Heather are still very much a part of his life and [the episode] is going to be very moving for the audience in so many ways,” she says. “It’s definitely an intimate episode.”

Does she think the CSI and the dominatrix ultimately belong together? “From my point of view, sure. Why not? Lady Heather’s not going anywhere.” Clarke pauses. “It’s just a matter of what Grissom’s compelled to do.” — Carita Rizzo

We open the night before Halloween (nice one, writers), where Nick and Riley are bemoaning a spate of robberies by trick-or-treaters dressed as cops. Funnily enough, the convenience store they’re outside is robbed by — you guessed it — someone dressed as a cop. Nick gives chase, which rambles through a mirror factory (fitting) and ends with the suspect dead after a fall into a glass-filled dumpster. He’s not alone, though. Under his corpse is another, a young woman. The game’s afoot….

CSIhas had its share of memorable killers, from blue-handed men to daddy’s dollhouse girl. Tonight… well, let’s just say I wished tonight’s killer had stuck around a bit longer….

This week’s episode opens with Guess the Victim. Is it one of the bicyclists? One of the joggers? The napping person? The pair of feet sticking out from a bush? Surprisingly not; even the feet turn out to belong to a very alive homeless man. No, our vic is a nice blonde woman leaning against a streetlight as if she were posed. Cree-pee.

Next we meet new CSI-2 Riley Adams, who bears a strong resemblance to Olivia Dunham but with, you know, a personality. Adams rides along with Grissom and gets to pull her sassy act on Li’l Dave, which sort of comes across as mean. He’s just so helpless! Anyway, the victim for this ride-along has again been posed, this time as a runner resting on a bus stop bench. While Streetlight Lady was a nurse, this guy’s a junkie.

From Ace Showbiz: An artist is held captive as the prime suspect after the CSI team discovers that he has his models posing as dead bodies for his pictures, on “Art Imitates Life”. The October 23 episode of “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” will also see the new addition to the team, Riley Adams, in replacement of Warrick who died at last season’s finale.

The team investigates the murder of a woman found in the park posed. It is found out that he hires models to pose as corpses for his paintings. Seen on the preview, the artist also uses a lot of life-size dummies for his piece of art. Meanwhile Sara visits an old friend who finally pulled the plug on his wife who was raped and shot in the head.

Adams, played by “The L Word” alumna Lauren Lee Smith, is a former St. Louis police officer who became a crime scene investigator. She comes in as a second-level CSI hired by Ecklie to the understaffed Las Vegas unit after the shooting of Warrick. “She’s a little bit of a sassy, sarcastic kind of spunky, spirited girl,” Smith said of the character. “She butts heads a little bit with Grissom. (But) it’s done in a very respectful way.”

A counselor is also brought in on this episode to help the unit recovering from the death of Warrick.

From TV Guide: For eight seasons CSI has seen more than its share of stabbings, shootings, stranglings and poisonings. But the real crime is what’s about to happen this year: The longtime hit’s star, William Petersen, is about to exit the series. Word came this summer that his character, Gil Grissom, will be replaced by a new CSI, played by Laurence Fishburne. As the countdown begins for Petersen’s last 10 episodes, we sat down with him and longtime costar Marg Helgenberger (who plays colleague Catherine Willows) to reminisce about their days together and ponder their futures apart.

TV Guide: What would you like to see happen in your last scene together?
William Petersen: We finally have sex? Believe me, it’s been brewing all along. For me, anyway.Marg Helgenberger: Catherine would love to have a roll in the sack with Grissom!Petersen: They have this understanding with each other. There’s a different kind of respect Grissom has for Catherine that would preclude a relationship on that level. The very thing that was wrong with Grissom and Sara is what he wouldn’t allow to happen with him and Catherine.

TV Guide: Maybe after a few eggnogs at the next CSI Christmas party?
Petersen: That could still be in the offing. Grissom’s not going away forever, anyway. Maybe he’ll go to Mexico, then come back and take Catherine with him. A tequila holiday!Helgenberger: [Laughs] Our lost weekend.

TV Guide: Marg, have you thought about a good-bye gift yet?
Petersen: No! No! No! No gifts!Helgenberger: I’m still working on it.Petersen: I’m having a hard time with all this. I may not show up the last day just so I don’t have to go through all that.Helgenberger: Isn’t that what John Huston used to do? He’d have his assistant director direct the last scene because he had such a hard time saying good-bye.Petersen: Maybe I’ll have my stand-in do my last scenes.Helgenberger: I try not to think about that last scene. That’s what everyone is feeling right now. We’ve had a lot of changes in the show these past years, and this is a big one. Everyone feels on unsteady ground right now.Petersen: We don’t talk about it much. Every once in a while, I look across at somebody in a scene and think, “This is weird. This is one of my last times working with you.” And then you have to say, “Forget about that.”

TV Guide: How will you say farewell?
Petersen: The hard part is saying good-bye to the cast and crew and writers. It’s the people you’ve been with for nine seasons. It’ll be very hard not going in the morning into one of those rooms and seeing them.Helgenberger: [Laughs] You’ll just kind of forget all about this within two days.Petersen: I promise I’ll remember everyone’s names.

TV Guide: How will Grissom say good-bye?
Petersen: We’ve been mapping out my last 10 episodes that will take Grissom from one place to another. There will be no brain tumor for four episodes. That’s the easy way out. We’re trying to paint it as we have done with Jorja [Fox] and Gary [Dourdan]. We’re trying to make it as real and close to reality as the show has been all along.

TV Guide: Did you guys talk about it before you decided to go?
Petersen: Marg’s known I wanted to go do theater.
Helgenberger: I don’t know if he said he was moving on in so many words.Petersen: The first couple of seasons I did. [Laughing, along with Helgenberger] I had the shows marked down on my trailer. I’d “X” them off like a convict.Helgenberger: There were a couple of seasons there where he was wanting to.Petersen: The decision was coming over a while. I mean, I wasn’t sure I was going to do Season 5. I did the show longer because of everyone I work with, and I’m really proud of what everyone’s done. I’m also concerned with the audience. They’ve been fabulous, stuck with us every year. But at the same time, I knew I needed to go do something. I don’t want to get to the point where I don’t feel creative anymore just because it’s comfortable and fun to hang out with your friends.

TV Guide: You had a pretty decent movie career going before you met Gil Grissom. Do you want to get back to the big screen?
Petersen: If this was about going off and making films, I’d stay on CSI. I’d love to see us make a CSI film.Helgenberger: Really?Petersen: That’s the other reason Grissom isn’t going to die of a brain tumor.Helgenberger: I didn’t know that.Petersen: It could be good if we did it right. The whole world is interested in the show.Helgenberger: I do remember it coming up in years past, but [it] wasn’t given a whole lot of validity.Petersen: You have to make sure it’s not just an extended episode or even like the Quentin Tarantino two-parter [the Season 5 ender]. It has to be…Helgenberger: Edgy!

TV Guide: What will you do in the meantime? Any immediate plans?
Petersen: The Chicago theater community breathlessly awaits my return. (This fall, Petersen will star in the Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s production of Dublin Carol, the play Petersen took time off to star in two seasons ago.)

TV Guide: What about coming back to CSI for an occasional visit?
Petersen: I’m going to come back and see the guys on set doing episodes I’m not in. And I’m staying on as a producer. The show is important to me, and I’m not abandoning it. I’m coming back on some level. I just don’t know what yet.

TV Guide: Do you have a favorite moment together?
Helgenberger: I remember a scene in the season finale of Season 3. You were going in for ear surgery.Petersen: I’m in my little room waiting to go in for this surgery…Helgenberger : And he’s got this little hospital gown on, and I come to say something, and we have this tender moment in the doorway. He starts walking down the hall. And Billy didn’t have anything on under the gown. It was a cute, fun moment.Petersen: And we were going to have the words “The End” up on screen. They shot it but didn’t use it. They got afraid.Helgenberger: They showed my reaction but not your actual…Petersen: The producers just thought that would make people think of Grissom in a different way. But as long as the characters are going to do what they would do, the audience is with you.

TV Guide: Laurence Fishburne is joining the cast as a new CSI. Will it be an easy transition?
Helgenberger: The writers are trying to wrap their minds around Billy having a graceful exit, but also creating a graceful entrance for Laurence.Petersen: I think it’s going be fine creatively for the audience and for the story and for the character. Shooting [the season premiere] was the most difficult nine days I’ve had in nine seasons on CSI. But Grissom leaving will open windows. Laurence will come in. Catherine could change her position. It will be interesting and different.Helgenberger: I could be made supervisor, and Laurence is a CSI Level 1. I don’t foresee any tension there for the characters, but I haven’t had scenes with him yet.

TV Guide: As you count down your time together, what do you think you’ll miss most about each other?
Petersen: The fact that we’ve done this for nine seasons and still like each other, and still want to work with each other, is an amazing thing. Believe me, for leading men and ladies, that’s not always the case. But she is a very fun gal. She’s got a great infectious laugh. She gets all my jokes. She’s passionate about her work and the show. Many times, she kept me in control. Many times she’d say, “Billy, it’s not that bad. Enjoy this. It’s the No. 1 show in the world.”Helgenberger: I’m incredibly touched. I know that a part of me is in denial about Billy leaving. I’m crying! I didn’t realize how much I’ve been avoiding facing the reality of CSI without him. And even though we haven’t been having as many scenes together as we used to, he’s under my skin. I’ve been very blessed these past eight and a half years not only to have shared in the success of CSI, but to have worked with a man who is an actor’s actor minus the pretension, an executive producer minus the superiority, and a stud minus the bulls–t. I love Billy… he’s the bomb! I know that we will work together again, and not just as Grissom and Catherine.

Love? Family? If CSI has taught us anything, it’s that both lead to horrible, painful death.

As if to make up for lost time, this week our favorite investigators tackle three cases. Suprisingly, they never connected, unless you count that all three show love leads to murder. Did someone at the CSI writers’ office just get dumped? Dude, give me a call; we’ll have some drinks and get you a nice rebound.

So, our first case: On top of the bus, Catherine declares our jumper a “soup sandwich.” Yowch. Sure enough, her bones are so pulverized from the landing that her legs wobble in a wholly disgusting fashion.

Someone tries letting Gil know; he’s too busy being sad about Warrick’s death to pick up. Sara, lying next to

Gil, tries to convince him to skip town.

Sara: Let’s go to the islands.Gil: I can’t go, you should stay.Sara: I can’t stay, let’s go.Laurence Fishburne: I’ll just be waiting over here.

We pick up where we left off, with eeevil Undersheriff McKeen calling in Warrick’s shooting. Grissom hears the “officer down” call and runs back to the alley behind the cafe, with McKeen not far behind. Poor dying Warrick tries to finger his murderer, but all that blood pouring from his mouth makes it a bit difficult. He dies in Grissom’s arms…READ FULL RECAP